Wire Rope Integrity for Winch-Assisted Forestry Equipment

Publication date:2017-06-26

Innovations in forest harvesting methods have allowed ground-based harvesting machines and extraction machines to operate safely on steep terrain that was previously inaccessible. This has been accomplished by connecting the machine to an anchor using wire rope, referred to as winch-assist. The practice, while relatively new to North America, is gaining acceptance in British Columbia. There is a need for information on all aspects of this new application of harvesting systems to ensure safe operation. Regardless of the type and brand of winch-assist systems used in harvesting operations around the world, two things are common: the use of a winch and the use of wire rope(s). A report is now available to FPInnovations’ members, which focusses on the wire rope component of winch-assist systems. The first sections of the report cover wire rope basics that are common to all applications, while the later sections provide some winch-assist specific information where it is available.